OK,
I've been working on our website trying to build some things up again. I was wondering, of all the vocation stories on the web, which are your favorite? I am trying to figure out what is too long and what is too short? What kind of details do you think are important?

Thanks again
God bless you all

My favorite vocation story is probably Fr. Don Calloway's, and then I really like the vocation stories posted on the Galway Poor Clares' site: http://www.poorclares.ie/ourstories.html

And one detail I think is really important is pictures

I love the Menlo Park Dominicans website; especially because they have individual pictures and stories/essays about the individual (specific) nuns in the Monastery. Very beautiful, and very interesting. I have seen other vocation website use this as well...it's not too overwhelming, because if you don't want to read them, you don't have to click on the link. I believe the SMME's also have this on their website, but I think the Menlo Park Dominicans website is the most beautiful...

I am a bit partial to the Nashville Dominicans' vocation stories page, but really I do like the format. Each sister whose story is on the site [only about twenty of the sisters, though I haven't counted] has chosen a title appropriate to how she would describe her journey into religious life. There is at least one picture per "sister profile," and age is mentioned for the younger sisters as well as colleges, etc. The stories are stories as opposed to fact sheets or anything, so they are written as the sister felt she could best get across the message of her vocation. At the bottom of the profile is a little note about the sister's profession dates or other dates/notes. Most of these are not up-to-date right now since the sisters are in the process of majorly reconstructing the Web site. I like how not only the young sisters but also the older ones, up to some of the retired ones, have their stories posted. I think letting each sister jot down her story and just "run with it" allows the mystery of vocation to shine through as opposed to having strict filters like age, date of entrance, hometown, etc. only. I think all those things are important to have stated, just more in the context of a personal story. Sorry if this makes no sense; I'm too pumped up for WYD after watching the Opening Mass on EWTN to sleep, but it's almost 4 AM!
http://www.nashvilledominican.org/Communit...files/index.htm
God bless you!

some of these are long whith more detail and some are very brief. Quite a variety of approaches too it seems.

I second two points:

- include pictures!
- a clever caption summarizing the story.

I really like the format of the postulant stories on the DSMME's website and I also like the format of the Nashville Dominicans, but I kind of like the DSMME's better because the stories aren't too long and they get straight to the point. I think it's always important note the age the person first felt the call, education (where they were going to college or they graduated college and the degree(s) obtained), certain people who helped them along the journey of discernment, and how they knew the certain convent was where Christ was calling them.

Most of the Benedictine monks (English Congregation) at the Abbey of St. Mary and St. Louis have a short profile posted at: http://www.stlouisabbey.org/monks/ I like the page design - photo, factual information below it (place of birth, education, interests, current pursuits, etc), and a description of their personalities and ministries. Some brief vocational information is included in most of the profiles, and many of the monks have written their own "On His Call" piece; each of these is featured as a hyperlink below their photos. There are some other hyperlinks on other topics, too, but we're focusing on vocation stories here.

The pages are easy to navigate, contain a manageable amount of information, which is consistent for all pages, and yet they show the uniqueness and diversity of the men, their skills, backgrounds, educations, and personalities.